GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 06/05/2008
- Released on: 06/03/2008
- Originally published on GameSpot: Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (PSP) Review
Now that Traveller's Tales has conquered a galaxy far, far away, it has set its sights on giving a Lego makeover to a more terrestrial franchise. Lego Indiana Jones: The Complete Trilogy lets you reenact the key scenes from the first three Indiana Jones movies, with a blocky twist only Lego can provide. The idea of children's building toys pasted atop action-packed adventures may seem strange--and seeing a Lego monkey is rather unnerving--but the enduring charm of the movies is the perfect foundation for some small-scale tomb robbing. An insatiable love for all things Indy isn't a prerequisite to enjoying this game, though. Even with camera and control issues, the clever puzzles and silly atmosphere should be enough to draw even the Indy-ignorant into the experience.
Like the Lego Star Wars games, Lego Indiana Jones is primarily a puzzle-solving game with light combat and platforming elements. While the core experience remains largely unchanged from the previous games, the puzzles are constructed in a much more intelligent and logical manner this time around. Despite the organic design of the puzzles, the small size of the PSP screen can make figuring out exactly what must be accomplished slightly more difficult than in the console versions. Trying to identify a millimeter-high switch hidden in the background can be an exercise in frustration. This problem could have been avoided had you been given more control over the camera, but by keeping the same zoomed-out view found in the console versions, Lego Indy makes solving puzzles pretty annoying at times.
We have top men working on it right now.
Though the puzzles are organized in a much more streamlined manner than in past Lego games, the obstacles are still quite diverse. Every level seems to throw a new trick your way that will continually keep you on your toes. The most amusing puzzles involve the severe phobias with which certain characters are cursed. Indiana has no fear swinging across molten lava with his whip or leaping over spikes while being run down by a giant boulder, but if you put a snake in front of him, he'll become nearly catatonic. The boss battles also provide a unique twist in every encounter. From having to figure out how to hurt a man who can regenerate his health to fighting against someone who won't stop jumping, these encounters serve as a fun diversion you'll have to solve quickly, lest you find your Lego head popped clean off. Other sections have you using elephants to cross mud, driving a motorcycle while being chased by a group of bikers, and trying to get a monkey to part with some dynamite. There is also a nauseatingly awesome mine cart ride in The Temple of Doom section that, though brief, is quite exhilarating.
Though the puzzle aspects alone are enough to make Lego Indy worthwhile, the humor makes it enjoyable even when you're cursing the camera. The silent cutscenes take you through the journey in a much sillier manner than Steven Spielberg originally envisioned. No, you won't see the Lost Ark melt some unfortunate Lego person's face, but you will see Indy's father fall asleep (because he's old!) and even the Harrison Ford look-alike donning a blonde wig to deceive a foolish guard. The humorous touches go beyond just the cutscenes; there are funny nods all around you. If you have time to marvel at the decor when trying to escape from a burning castle, you might see a painting of the Sphinx with a Lego head. Traveller's Tales also included a few references to its previous Lego games. You can see soldiers wearing Darth Vader masks, Belloq mocking C-3PO, and a clever homage to Hoth hidden away in one level.
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